Thursday, Sept. 3 SHE’S BA-A-A-CK Jazz flutist Ali Ryerson is returning once again to Hidden Valley Music Seminars for a new master class for up-and-coming flutists, which for us means a masterful public performance by the accomplished Ryerson, joined by Steve Rudolph on piano, Akira Tana on percussion and John Wiitala on bass. In June she released her latest album, The Ali Ryerson Quartet. It’s already ranking high on national jazz charts. Her career spans over four decades, during which time she’s released nearly 20 albums and toured all over the world. Take the opportunity to see a true master at work. [PM] 7:30pm Thursday, Sept. 3. Hidden Valley Music Seminars, 104 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. $25. (831) 659-3115, hiddenvalleymusic.org. JOKE’S ON EVERYONE Some comedians build up to the punchline. Others keep it going nonstop. No matter their style, these comedians will have to adapt their routine to a rigid five-minute set. The San Francisco Comedy Competition is back in Monterey County, with 32 comedians vying for the title in a prestigious competition that’s launched the careers of such stars as Dana Carvey and Ellen DeGeneres. The Folktale Winery stop marks the first in a tour throughout the Central Coast and San Francisco Bay Area. The first 16 comedians battle it out in this round; the other 16 perform the following week. For some, five minutes will feel like an eternity, but for others, it will fly by. The audience is just along for the ride. [EC] 7:45pm Thursday, Sept. 3 and Sept. 10. Folktale Winery & Vineyards, 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. $56. (831) 2937500, folktalewinery.com. Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 3-6 HEAR HER ROAR This wasn’t an immediate classic. When Euripides showed Medea for the first time, in 431 BC, the audience was not ready for her take on the myth of the golden fleece—the object of pursuits by the Argonauts under the leadership of Jason, who in Medea’s retelling of events is everything but a hero. In this production, the young sorceress of Colchis 22 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com ELAINE GOLDSTONE Local artists connect with the community in many ways. The Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association has been observing and artistically documenting the ongoing Fort Ord Dunes State Park dunes restoration and campground construction, to the delight and with the support of California State Parks. Come see the fruits of this partnership and the changing landscape captured by the artists that who make you see the wind and feel the water. The above piece, “Watch Tower,” was made by MBPAPA member Elaine Goldstone, the group’s “paint out” coordinator and exhibition curator. Opening reception: 6-7:30pm Friday, Sept. 18 at Walter Lee Avery Gallery, Seaside City Hall, 440 Harcourt Ave., Seaside. Open 8am-5pm Monday to Friday. On display until Nov. 5. [AP] 3-9 SEPTEMBER HOT PICKS To see more local events, and add your own, visit montereycountynow.com/events ELAINE GOLDSTONE MEREDITH MULLINS VISUALS MEREDITH MULLINS Fine art photographer Meredith Mullins has great respect for the Japanese philosophy and the aesthetic of wabi-sabi. She might be sharing her time between Pacific Grove and Paris these days (Mullins is known for her photography of Paris), but she traveled to Japan enough to bring from there “profound moments of discovery, sensory awakening, and sacred silence as I spent time in the temples and shrines, classic gardens, small villages, and in an exploration of the geisha culture,” she writes by email, explaining the impulse behind her new “Japan photos” exhibit, now on display at the Pacific Grove Art Center (at 568 Lighthouse Ave.). “Wabi-sabi is such a forgiving and freeing philosophy,” she adds. The title of the show is A Wabi-Sabi Journey. The photographs are accompanied by Mullin’s stories and haiku by Helen Ogden. On display until Oct. 29. [AP] Can you stomach fair food and rides all in the same day? If not, don’t worry—the fun is spread out over four days, from Thursday-Monday (Sept. 3-7), with livestock auctions, fine art exhibits and floriculture all in the mix (see p. 24). DANIEL DREIFUSS Ali Ryerson is a celebrated jazz flutist with a career spanning more than four decades. She returns to Hidden Valley Music Seminars for a concert on Thursday, Sept. 3. RANDY O’ROURKE
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